Sanitary valve for fluid-dispensing apparatus.



C. A. COKER.

SANITARY VALVE FOR FLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, I9I8.

3,301,229 Patented Apr. 22,1919.

CLARENCE A. COKER, OF CORDOVA, ALABAMA.

SANITARY VALVE FOR FLUID-DISPENSING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application led September 3,1918. Serial No. 252,325.

A specification.

llOA

This invention relates to improvements in sanitary valve attachments for the discharge spouts of fluid dispensing apparatus and particularly for syrup pumps for soda fountains and has for its object to produce a spout which will be perfectly sanitary and which will have the distinguishing characteristic of providing a valve element carrying the discharge opening which is normally retracted into and serves to seal the open end of the spout. J

One object of my invention is to cause the valve element which carries the discharge opening to be sucked into the open end of the spout after the charge of fluid is dis# charged so that no part is left exposed over w-hich the .fluid fiovvs, thus preventing flies and dirt having access thereto. c

A further object is to have this'movable Valve'element serve. as a plug or closure for the open end of the spout so that it will hold the fluid standing in the vdelivery tube at a fixed levelv independent of the Huid'level in the tank. y l

It is a further object of my invention to utilize the pressure of the iuid in the tube to eject therefrom the discharge element and to utilize the suction pull of t-he fluid in the delivery tube to suck the discharge ele ment back into its retracted position. To accomplish the latter effect, provision must bemade to close the delivery opening in said element so that the suction pull may become effective upon it and this may be done either by a valve movable automatically responsive to the suction or movable by a spring.

My invention further comprises the novel details of construction and a1 rangements of parts, which in their preferred embodiments i only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a syrup pump equipped with my improved type of nozzle with the discharge element in operating position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the delivery end of the spout slhowing the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3 is a similar view ofthe parts with the element in retracted position.

Fig. 4 is a bottom perspective View of the discharge element detached.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view corresponding toFig. 2 of a modification of my invention.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with atypical soda fountain pump A construction comprising a delivery cup 1 and delivery tube.2, a plunger 3 being disposed in the cup and operated by a plunger rod 4 which passes through a top plate 5 through which the delivery tube 2 also passes and is there connected to the spout 6 which is mounted on said plate. All of the parts as thus described are of any standard construction except that the outer end 7 of the spout is adapted to receive a plug and fluid discharge element 8. This element 8 is in the form of a tube closed at its outer end by a screw head 9 with a milled edge larger in diameter than the open end 7 of the spout, and tapered to form a valve 9a which will seat against a correspondingly tapered valve seat at the outer end of the spout section 7.

' The member 8 is provided in its under` face end 13 of the tubular member 8 and in its open position moves opposite the notch 12 so as to permit the fluid to pass thereby to the discharge opening 10. It will be noted that the member 8 makes a close sliding fit in the nozzle endv 7 and that a set screw or stop pin 17 is inserted upwardly through the spout and works in the slot 11 and prevents the rotation of the member 8 and limits its lengthwise movements.

In operation, the element 8 is inserted in the end of theA spout and the set screw 17 is caused to engage in the slot 11. On the depression of the plunger 3 thei'luid to be dispensed is forced up through the tube 2 into the spout 6 until it reaches the element 8 where it acts to force the check valve 16 out of the tube end 13, thereby permitting the luid to flow freely past the valve and into the member 8. The pressure of the iuid then acts on the member 8 to eject it or force it outwardly from the spout until arrested by the pin 17 engaging the inner end of the slot 11. When in this position the discharge opening 10 will be exposed and fluid will be discharged downwardly therefrom into the glass. As the plunger starts its up stroke the suction pull is exerted on the fluid in the tube 2 and spout 6 with the result that the check valve 16 is drawn inwardly and closes the end 13 of the member 8. As soon as this occurs the Suction pull is exerted on the member 8 as a whole and it .is retracted into the spout until its taper valve 9 seats with a tight joint in the open end of the spout and seals the latter, causing the fluid to be arrested at a. predetermined point in the delivery tube 2 with the vresulting very great advantage of causing eachoperation of the pump to discharge a uniform volume of fluid independently of the fluid level in the tank.

In Fig. 5 I show a slightly modified construction of the discharge element 8 which is here in the formof a tube or sleeve 18 which is closed at itsouter end by a tightly fitting screw cap 19 and is provided with a Huid discharge opening 10, a bottom longitudinal slot 20, corresponding toll, in which the set screw' or pin 17 in the delivery end 7 of the spout engages. rlhe outer end of the tubular member 18 is closed and receives therein a coiled spring 21 which acts to press a sliding sleeve valve 22 inwardly into position against a stop 23 in which position it, serves to close the discharge opening 10. This sleeve valve is closed at its outer end by a head 24 which the spring 21 engages. hIn the operation of this modified form the pressure of the fluid rst acts against the valve 22 to'move it outwardly and compress the spring 21, in doing which vthe whole member 18 is carried outwardly so that by the time the valve 22 has cleared the opening 10 the member is in its outermost position. At the completion of the plungers pressure stroke, vthe pressure drops in the delivery tube, the spring 21 moves the valve 22 to close the opening 10 and the suction pull of the fluid drawsthe sleeve 18 back into retracted' position into the spout, closing the latter and concealing all but the outer end of the sleeve.

In both arrangements no part is left exposed over or through which the fluid flows yand thus it will be impossible to have the fluid contaminated by ies, dirt or germs which naturally exist where the spouts diswill also serve to hold the fluid to be dis` pensed at a fixed level in the delivery tube. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. In a Huid dispensing apparatus, the combination with a delivery spout and plunger feed means to force fluid to be dispensed therethrough, of a plug having a hollow body which fits with a close sliding t into the spout and has a spout closing head at its outer end, there being an intermediate discharge opening in said plug body, means in the plug to automatically close said discharge opening at the completion of the plungers fluid expelling stroke to permit the suction stroke of the plunger to automatically retract the plug therei ito.

2. nIn a Huit. dispensing apparatus, the combination with a delivery spout and a plunger force feed means to eject the :Huid to be dispensed through said spout, of a plug mounted in and adapted to normally close the spouts open end and having a fluid to a position exposing said discharge port,v

said plug being reci rocable automatically responsive to the l'iui pressure inthe spout, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a syrup pump and its delivery spout, a plunger feed therefor, a plug closure reciprocable in the open end of said spout automatically responsive to the' fluid.pressure in the spout, means to 7limit and guide the reciprocable movements of said plug, there being a fluid discharge passage through said plug which is inclosed in the spout when the plug is in retracted position, and a check valve to close said passage on the suction stroke of the plunger. Y

4L. The combination with a syrup pump and its delivery spout, said spout having an elongated discharge end, .of a sleeve closure slidable in said end and having a syrup discharge passage therethrough, valve means carried by the sleeve and movable autof matically responsive to the syrup pressure,

said valve means being adapted `to close of communication between the o en end of said passage and the spout when .t e syrup is not under pressure, and guide means for the lsleeve in said spout, substantially as. de-

normally housed in the spout, a valve at the outer end of the plug adapted. to seal the open end of the spout when the plug is retracted, valve means automaticly responsive to pressure conditions in the spout to control connnunication between the spout and the open end of said discharge passage, and means. to guide and limit the reciprocable movements of the plug responsive to the intei-nal pressure conditions in the spout.

6. In a fluid dispensing apparatus, a spout, a fluid pump adapted to force the fluid to be dispensed 'through said spout, an elongated element reciprocable in the spout automatically responsive to pressure conditions therein and having at its outer end a valve adapted to seal the open end of the spout in the valves closed position, there being a fluid discharge passage opening through the inner end and the side of said element, a suction responsive valve to close said passage, and means to guide and limit the reciprocatory movements of said valve element.

7 In a fluid dispensing apparatus, a spout, an elongated sleeve having a sliding it in the open end of the spout, a screw head which closes the open end of the sleeve and forms a valve t'o seal the open end of the spout, an outlet port in the sleeve near said head, an automatic pressure responsive valve in the sleeve to close communication between said port and the spout, and means to guide and limit the reciprocatory movements of said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 

